Wednesday, December 3, 2008

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE MINI GRATINS

Last weekend, I was looking for a wintery side dish which would pair perfectly with the enormous côte de boeuf (a 700g slab of beef) that was lying in the refrigerator, waiting to get sizzled over high heat and served with summer truffle butter...

As I love potato gratins (especially Gratin Dauphinois), I thought that I could make something similar, but with an original as well as a seasonal twist. I wanted something traditional, soothing, simple yet somehow extravagant.

So, after rummaging through my entire fridge and all my cupboards, I found exactly what I was looking for. A pretty looking little violet tuber called topinambur or Jerusalem artichoke.

I was going to make a comforting, yet refined "Jerusalem Artichoke Mini Gratins" topped with hazelnuts...

Well, there is no need for me to say that it was fantastic and accompanied my chunky, charred, bloody, tender piece of beef to perfection.

This "Jerusalem Artichoke Mini Gratins" has a delicate nutty, artichoky taste with hints of water chestnuts and has a delightfully creamy texture (similar to potato gratin, since sunchokes have a consistency much like potatoes, except for their slight crispiness). In one word, fantastic!

Method for the "Béchamel Sauce":1. Cook butter until brown.2. Reduce the heat and add the crushed garlic.3. Cook for about 1 minute.4. Over low heat, add the flour at once, knead it into the butter and cook for 2 minutes without letting it brown.5. Add the milk and cream and stir vigorously to avoid the formation of lumps.6. Simmer, stirring gently with a whisk, until the mixture is thick.7. Add the pepper and salt to taste.8. Set aside.

Method for the "Jerusalem Artichokes":8. Scrub the Jerusalem artichokes under running water.9. Place them in a pan and cover them with cold water.10. Bring the water to a boil and simmer for 8-10 minutes.11. Discard the water and peel the Jerusalem artichokes.12. Cut them into 4mm (0.2 inches) slices. Set aside.How to assemble the gratin:13. Preheat the oven to 200° C (400° F) and butter both gratin dishes.14. Pour some béchamel sauce into them, place a few slices of JA, then continue alternating until both the sauce and root vegetable have been used.15. Sprinkle the tops with chopped hazelnuts.16. Put in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.17. Serve warm.

Remarks:If you wish, you can add 4 Tbs Parmesan cheese to the béchamel sauce (at the end, together with the pepper).You can replace the jerusalem artichokes by any other root vegetable of your choice.

Serving suggestions:Serve this gratin with a good côte de boeuf (or t-bone steak/rib roast) and a salad or with smoked ham, fish or the meat of your choice.

I am a lover of all things creamy and tantalizing as this. I have yet to try a Jerusalem artichoke though. I rarely see them at the market...but as you said maybe I will more of them now that they are in season.

What a beautiful artichoke, Rosa. I've used to plant this Jerusalem artichokes in my garden. It was delightful to see them, but then it became pests because they multiplied like crazy. Eventually I got tired and kill them all. Shame!

I should try to plant it again, but I have to set my mind to be discipline to harvest them, then clear them up, but leave one or two plant for the next season harvest. Thanks Rosa, if you didn't post about it, I would totally forget about this tubers. Btw, I've actually never seen this color before. The one that common in the supermarket in my area is the yellow one. I must seek through my catalogs to see if they carry this color. It's beautiful!

That gratin is brilliant idea, add to that, hazelnut! this will drive my husband crazy. He loves hazelnut so much!Anyway, apologize for such a long comment. I can't resist!Always,Elra

The gratin looks yummy,I've been wondering how to use the Jerusalem artichokes I have grown on my allotment. They really do spread and grow a bit like a weed but lovely flavour in soups and along with other roasted vegetables. I look forward to using your recipe,best wishes, Sue

I always intend to make interesting side dishes like this one but somehow I end up doing the tried and true favs....perhaps I lack creativity in the side dish department? Or, more likely, I'm in a rut and need to take a page from you book!

I have a love hate relationship with Jerusalem artichokes, especially in the garden. This recipe reaffirms my love for this unique vegetable. They are often used as a substitute for potatoes as in your glorious dish. Some grocers call them sunchokes...Thanks for sharing Rosa. Perhaps, I should try them in the garden again next to the sunflowers their family tree ancestors.

Rosa you have the yummiest recipes! That really looks delicious. I'd like to invite you to take some time to drop by at Foodista and share this delicious treat with us. We have launched an online food and cooking encyclopedia ala wikipedia. Add a recipe and you can win a $100 gift card to Sur la table. Don't forget to register first so we know who to thank the recipe for. Thanks! See you there!